And now for something completely different...

[JimC]

Here are some progress pics if folk are interested.

Sitting on top of a Squier Strat to show how small it is.

Using a written off Pitbull engineered rosewood fretboard as a template for the fret slots on my new fretboard.

Various components. The headstock shape is an HDPE (=plastic chopping board) template for routing the headstock in place. Plan is to turn it over so both sides are routed with the same cutting errors!

At this stage I start agonising over what order to do things, because every job seems to me best done after several of the others.

[JimC]

Oops. I have spent the last 2 or 3 days making a jig to cut a radius block to sand the fretboard. I'd estimated less than a day. Hmm. Then even after making the jig problems persist. The router bit loosened off in the middle of making the block, which has not only dug a channel through the block, but also the Collet was damaged, so I need to get a new one. I can probably salvage the radius block rather than start again, but what with the spares and the time making a radius block has not only taken longer than ordering one on line would have done, but also, due to the cost of the router spare, cost more. Not one of my better decisions...

[fender3x]

I got this on Amazon...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

...and have been pretty happy with it.

It would be expensive to have a full set, but just one is not bad. I looked at making one, but as you have said, a lot of time and effort goes into making a jig, and having a jig does not insure a timely product. It's worth it to make the jig if you are going to do a number of radiuses (radii?), but if you are just doing one or two...

In any case, would love to see the jig.

Progress looks pretty good in the previous post ;-)

[JimC]

Well, here's a little more progress. The neck is glued into the body, but the fretboard is still loose. There is a fair bit of shaping to go on the front of the body, whilst the neck and the neck body join aren't started really. The very long fingerboard extension is mainly required to cover the truss rod, which comes back as far as the 'waist' of the body.

I've been musing over whether to put a Strat pickup on so its playable without the midi gear, although I'm not sure why.

There's a fair bit of body shaping needed on the front, the through neck part is currently raised above the rest of the body and it needs to be flush. That's got to be taken down while leaving that part the fingerboard will glue onto at the current height.

The back, as you can see, is hardly started. The body will probably be cut back tens of millimetres on the bottom at the neck join, and the neck needs to be half the current depth other than at the headstock join.

I was considering a decorative wood top as there's someone near here who does planks of olive wood and European walnut, but I think the new lock down in the light of our new super infectious Covid variant has killed that idea. With Ash maple, rosewood and sapele there's probably enough different timbers there anyway...

[JimC]

Frets and fingerboard in place and beginning to shape the neck and neck/body join. If it doesn't work as an instrument it might make it as a wall hanger.

[JimC]

Here it is with body and neck hopefully finally shaped and lightly dampened to show the grain. I need to make decisions on finishing. Has anyone seen a through neck with contrasting wood strips like this stained? I'm thinking it would lose the effect. Maybe it should just be clear coat/tru oil? Because its so small, and because the neck is so integrated with the body I'm not sure there's much scope for anything complicated. Thoughts?

[McCreed]

Has anyone seen a through neck with contrasting wood strips like this stained? I'm thinking it would lose the effect.

I agree if the stain colour is too dark, but I think a light colour (something in the amber hew) would really make it stand out.

Is meant to be played in the lap or over the shoulder? I have totally wrapped my head around it despite ready the entire thread.

[JimC]

Oh gosh yes, that's an excellent suggestion, something like that might well bring out the best in the wood. Now I've got to decide whether that's the way *I* want to go (and whether I want to buy more wood dye) but thinking abstractly I think that would make for a very striking instrument.

And yes, played like any other guitar. Hopefully good sitting down as well as on a strap standing up.

[JimC]

Grain filler (neutral) and a coat of Birchwood sealer filler. I thought hard, and was sorely tempted by the amber coat, but decided that while if done well it would look magnificent, if done by someone less skilled (ie me) there'd be a definite risk of it just looking like pine!

Next will be to look for all the flaws and see what I want to do about them.

[impala59]

This is starting to look like something really special!